Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Pressure Sores and Kidney Stones?

It seems everyday, there is a new health problem. I found it interesting kidney stones can go along with Chrohn's so wondering about the source of the digestive disorders. My diet has been VERY LOW fat and free of MSG, and other foods to keep a handle on things. Having the worse short term what feel like the UTIs in the world and then seeing these little yellow balls, is really weird. I had the back pain too. Fears of my kidneys failing are with me. I have been a controlled diabetic, except for two months, in the last 10 years with an A1cs under 7.0 the majority of the time but sadly perhaps damage is done anyhow. These still need to be diagnosed but it's something and recurring often. I do not think it is normal either to pee orange "sand" that is far larger then average sand crystals. I am seeing a nurse now, and guess I will be explaining more when she comes. One new hideous development has been developing pressure sores, I always was limited in time in sitting up on the computer an hour or so at a time due to bloating but now I have to watch out for these. I asked the doctors why this is a problem now, but they told me being this overweight and aging it can come on. One thing that worries me is I am not sitting for hours and hours, the longest is maybe a movie, I have to get up enough to do things intermittently, even your average movie time, I need the bathroom at least once. I am sitting on a Lazy Boy that gives me more time, but having to type from the side with the keyboard on a chair. Good ergnomics are long gone!

My sugars have been better, and I have found I can walk better, and faster and further on the walker not having to worry so much about tottering from my bad balance, but I am still staying so obese with now much lower interest in food. I do feel UNWELL, it is like feeling of malaise, exhaustion and have for some time this has gone in tandem with the digestive disorder of abominal pain, and roller coasters of diarrhea and constipation. I am even wondering if something more is going on with thyroid or parathyroid. I have prayed to God for healing and comfort. What is odd is just the other day I was on a size acceptance related board, and it was a discussion regarding HAES and I wrote "Fat causes suffering" and a lady who admitted she was 300lbs said "No it does not!" This is my reality whatever hers for today.

They have told me too I am having MULTIPLE vitamin defiencies, I take B12, have needed B3 and take Vit D. I am very low on vit D. Some of this stuff is getting complicated even for me. I wondered about gallstones of course, but all pain is LOWER abdominal and of course having back pain and seeing where the stones have come out, it's more obvious it's kidney related but then I do not know how gall stones are all passed.

Oh you got it. I wish they'd read them too. Perhaps we should mail a few copies to Marilyn Wann. I don't think she'd care. I do think they promote weight loss surgery a bit too much. There is serious denial about what fat people face. I believe the suffering of the severely obese is on par with those facing terminal cancer. Marilyn Wann and NAAFA would never admit it.

Please please please research going on the Paleo diet!!! I'm like, literally in pain reading your entries, the feelings of indignance, helplessness, outrage at our food system...I've been there. I found a way out!

This man cured his diabetes by going Paleo, and is, of course, being sued by North Carolina's diabetes association for telling people that they're being lied to with the 'approved' dietary guidelines: http://www.diabetes-warrior.net/

Here's one of the top guys in the Paleo field: http://www.marksdailyapple.com

I personally went from 140lbs to 200lbs, and despite all sorts of 'healthy whole grains', 'salads', and 'exercise', just kept packing it on. Finally I went on a version of the Paleo diet (limiting myself to under 30g of carbs a day (counting calories is a waste of time, you want to count CARBS!)), became ketogenic, and lost the first 15lbs by the end of the first month! After about 5 months or so I'd lost 40lbs total. I still want to lose more, but I got pregnant in the interim (and only 5 months post-partum, am only about 7lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight).

This is the simplest way of putting it:1. Don't eat anything you couldn't eat immediately in the wild without preparation (if you have to boil/soak/bake/ferment/milk it, etc., don't touch it)2. Don't eat ANY grains/legumes/tubers (rice, corn, beans, wheat, barley, rye, soy, potatoes), they will addict you and make you fatter than ever3. Don't eat sugar that doesn't occur naturally in a whole fruit (refined sugar, sodas, juice, candy)4. Don't eat dairy--it's the food for the newborns of a whole different species, not for adult (or baby) humans!5. If you stick to fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and nuts, as close to their raw forms and as organic as possible, you're good to go6. Your body is designed to burn fat, not carbs. The idea that 'fat makes you fat' is an enormous hoax, it's carbs that make you fat (these are non-fruit/vegetable carbs I'm referring to, the natural ones are fine and their effects are mitigated by the fiber (juice doesn't count--no fiber left!))7. Just eating this way will turn on the 'fat burning switch' in your body and the pounds will melt away without exercise (I didn't exercise--knees were too compromised, and the weight still fell right off!)

Anyway, sorry for bursting on the scene to rant about this, but I can't bear it. I honestly want to print up a T-shirt for myself that says "STOP EATING GRAINS AND SUGAR" so I won't have to actually bother/embarrass people in order to help them! I hope this helps you...I know I never got to the point you're at, but the bad feelings were just the same nonetheless.

I agree with you sugars are poison. I can go weeks with no deserts. Wheat I gave up for a year and half, it didn't improve my health but I am questioning it's inclusion and seeking to lower it again. Dairy, I am totally allergic and get sick from ANY of it. I have been buying more fresh fruits and vegetables--ie green beans that are fresh instead of canned. I also eat fruit and nuts. I do need to figure out new ways of cooking but vegetable salads have become a recent mainstay. Tomatoes, cucumbers etc. Beans I am wondering about as I am having trouble digesting them.

I feel like I do what I can, I have to cook CONSTANTLY because what is available out there is awful.

If you make a stew or stir-fry, you eat no carbs with it at all?

I made chicken and broccoli stir fry the other day, so just curious how that works on a practical measure.

When I was gluten free, I saw my sugars shoot up, which I still can't figure out.

I have massively increased the numbers of fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet, over the last few months. THere is no processed with the MSG allergies. Bread I do need to reduce, and need to figure out where to bring in SOME carbs.

My lastest venture is to get ahold of some desiccated thyroid. I saw pictures of myself where my hair is very very thin.

No, I don't have any carbs with stews or stir-frys, and the only 'carbs you need to bring in' are in the veggies/fruits!

Look at it this way: grains are food for birds--they're the only animals that can eat them totally naturally with no issues (cows are creating a massive methane problem because clearly they CAN'T). I'm not totally sure WHAT eats legumes, but we can't just pick a bean and eat it, so it's not for us. Dairy is for baby cows, and tubers are food for the plants themselves (they're nutrient storage for the winter, basically). Sugar cane is a grass, and humans don't usually eat THAT, so we have no business refining it and using it in everything.

If you're super strict about cutting out ALL of the offending foods mentioned above, your body will be able to 'clear its head' so to speak, and really function. Eating any of that at all while trying to lose weight is like trying to go through your closet while someone keeps giving you bags of new clothes.

This is the approach that really jump-started me: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art11336.asp

What were you eating when you were gluten-free? Were you eating gluten-free 'replacement' baked goods? Because those can contain even more sugar than the regular ones, horribly.

Also, why cook? Why not just 'graze'? I typically will get a handful of each of whatever I feel like eating out of the fridge and just have it like a buffet, rather than make an entire formal meal out of it.

LOL, looks like someone else is trying to convert you to paleo. Couldn't agree more of course :). Fruits and vegetables are all the carbs you'll ever need. Ditch the legumes, it's obvious your body hates them. Serve sauces over spaghetti squash and add starchy veggies to stews such as carrots and parsnips. You should be able to eat sweet potatoes? Stir frys with zucchini "noodles" thrown in at the end are very good. I wish I had some advice on the kidney stones, that sounds awful and scary. Make sure you're not eating any omega 6 oils/vegetable oils. They are so inflammatory and really bad for skin integrity. Cook only with animal fats, olive oil and coconut oil. Maybe that will help with the sores on top of what you're already doing. Take care, Katie

Ah I try my best, the problem with paleo is if you are allergic to several food groups how do you remove more?I probably already eat near it, but all the cooking required to get anything decent to eat is wearing me out.I saw my blood sugars jack to the skies while doing gluten free, the only carbs I was eating was some rice noodles and occasional rice, the gluten free baked goods were so gross, it wasn't funny. I even bought my own flours and it was a nightmare. One thing with paleo is I can't handle fat so eating a cooked down meat even for a lot of meals will make me pay, like the beef stews and more. They are not sure of the kidney stones yet, I'm supposed to watch for some. They put me on an antibiotic for the gravel to see if that would clear things up, but I shall see. You are supposed to eat less meat with kidney stones. One thing too witht all the bowel problems, I even had to switch to ice berg lettuce, more digestible and other tweaks, that belie explanation. I am eating a LOT less bread to point most is getting thrown away,probably wasteful but freezer is full of bread I have to give away, stuff husband accidently bought with milk in it. They seem to be adding milk and whey to just about every processed bread now. Yeah my body hate beans and even corn. Its scary dealing with so many food allergies and problems. A pain free day though is a good one. Are there any good grains for a paleo?

I found this website, I can see me making stuff off here, the chicken soup looks good. I can't eat eggs or potatoes which complicates paleo a bit.

I would say the safest grain to eat would be small portions of white rice if you feel you want to serve food with a grain. I do that and it's never bothered me or my blood sugars. Potatoes I rarely eat, they're not "paleo" anyway. Sweet potatoes are from a different family and probably won't bother you. Tonight for example I roasted a chicken, wrapped up squash in aluminum foil and threw that in the oven with it and then cooked frozen spinach while the chicken cooled and that was dinner with very little effort. Tomorrow I will simmer the whole leftover chicken for a few hrs and make chicken soup with carrots, celery, onion, maybe a handful of rice thrown in at the end. Two meals you could probably do without too much work or digestive troubles? Homemade chicken broth is excellent for healing the gut. Eggs I hardly ever eat as well, I think I'm intolerant to them. I don't know, you just have to work with your food restrictions even if your diet gets a little redundant. Make a list of all the things you can have that you know work for you then add to it as you go instead of focusing on all the "can't haves". I do this because I'm always forgetting how much there is to eat and I often run out of ideas and feel frustrated. It's worth it in the end. ~Katie